Community Festival · Many free · All ages West Belfast
Féile an Phobail
Ireland's biggest community festival takes over West Belfast for a fortnight — a huge carnival parade, family fun days, trad music and hundreds of events.
Ireland's biggest community festival takes over West Belfast for a fortnight — a huge carnival parade, family fun days, trad music, and hundreds of events, most of them free. Two weeks of a whole community out celebrating.
What's on — over 700 events across two weeks: the colourful carnival parade, free family fun days in the parks, traditional music and céilís, a children's arts festival, an international food fayre, comedy, sport and big-name concerts.
When — 25 July to 9 August 2026, around two weeks. The carnival parade is on Saturday 1 August, setting off from Dunville Park up the Falls Road.
The free family highlights — the Carnival Parade and Party in the Park (Sat 1 Aug), the Teddy Bears' Picnic in Falls Park (Sun 2 Aug) and the International Food Fayre (Wed 5 Aug): inflatables, face-painting, a petting farm, world food and music.
Concerts are ticketed and age-restricted. The big Falls Park concerts are ticketed, and several evening shows are 16+ (under-16s must be accompanied by an adult), with ID needed if you look under 25. The daytime community events are the family window.
Getting there — it's in West Belfast, along the Falls Road, and the G1 Glider runs right along it from the city centre — so come by public transport, especially on concert days.
What it is — "the Festival of the People": Ireland's biggest community arts festival, run in and by the West Belfast community since 1988.
What's on
A fortnight of the community out celebrating
With more than 700 events there's something on every day. Here's the spread — with the free family highlights first.
🎊The Carnival ParadeThe festival's flagship — one of the most colourful and inclusive parades in Ireland, with giant puppets, circus performers, dancers, bands and community floats winding up the Falls Road. Saturday 1 August, free.
🎈Family fun daysParty in the Park after the parade (inflatables, climbing tower, archery, face-painting, superheroes) and a Teddy Bears' Picnic in Falls Park with a petting farm and crafts — both free and made for young children.
🎻Trad music & céilísA Trad Trail and Irish-language strand across the pubs and venues of the Falls, with traditional sessions and dancing — a warm daytime-and-early-evening cultural thread.
🎨Draíocht children's festivalFéile founded Northern Ireland's first dedicated children's arts festival — shows and workshops for children run as part of the wider family programme.
🌍International Food FayreA free day of food, music and dance from many cultures — Syrian, Palestinian, Polish, Nigerian, Chinese, Irish and more — at Conway Mill on the Falls Road.
🎤Big Falls Park concertsMarquee ticketed gigs and comedy fill the evenings in Falls Park — the grown-up, night-time side of the festival (ticketed, with age limits on some shows).
Plan your visit
The family window, and getting there
Féile is a two-tier festival, and for families the free daytime community events are the ones to aim for — the carnival, Party in the Park, the Teddy Bears' Picnic and the food fayre. The big Falls Park concerts are ticketed and mostly evening, and several carry age limits (some are 16+, with under-16s admitted only accompanied by an adult, and ID needed if you look under 25) — so plan those separately. It's all in West Belfast, centred on the Falls Road; the G1 Glider runs right along the Falls from the city centre, so public transport is the easy way in, especially on concert days when parking near Falls Park is heavily restricted.
Check the programme for what's free and what's ticketed.
With 700+ events, the exact times and venues — and which are free family events versus ticketed concerts — are all on the official programme. See the full calendar and buy any concert tickets at feilebelfast.com before you go.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Dates
25 July to 9 August 2026 — around two weeks, with a programme of more than 700 events. The carnival parade is on Saturday 1 August.
Cost
Many community and family events are free (the carnival, Party in the Park, Teddy Bears' Picnic, food fayre and many talks/walks). The big Falls Park concerts and comedy nights are ticketed.
Where
West Belfast, along the Falls Road — Falls Park (the concert arena), Dunville Park (parade assembly), Conway Mill, and venues across the community.
Getting there
The G1 Glider runs along the Falls Road from the city centre; Metro buses and West Belfast black taxis also serve the area. Driving and parking near Falls Park are heavily restricted on concert days — use public transport.
Family
Genuinely family-first by day — the carnival, the fun days and the children's Draíocht strand are all free and aimed at young children. The evening concerts are the grown-up side (ticketed, with age limits on some).
Accessibility
Access provision varies by event and venue; contact Féile directly (028 9560 9984 / [email protected]) for specific access queries.
Food
Free daytime food events like the International Food Fayre, plus food-and-drink vendors across the venues and the Falls Park concert site.
Weather
It's a summer festival, so come ready for "scorching sunshine or pouring rain" — a light layer and a rain jacket cover the outdoor events.
Questions
Féile an Phobail, answered
When is Féile an Phobail 2026?
25 July to 9 August 2026 — around two weeks, with more than 700 events. The colourful carnival parade is on Saturday 1 August, up the Falls Road.
Is it free?
Many of the community and family events are free — the carnival parade, Party in the Park, the Teddy Bears' Picnic and the International Food Fayre. The big Falls Park concerts and comedy nights are ticketed.
What's on for children?
Lots — the carnival, Party in the Park (inflatables, climbing, face-painting, superheroes), the Teddy Bears' Picnic with a petting farm, and the Draíocht children's arts festival. The daytime is the family window; keep the evening concerts for the grown-ups.
Are the concerts suitable for kids?
The big Falls Park concerts are ticketed and mostly evening, and several are age-restricted — some are 16+, with under-16s admitted only accompanied by an adult, and ID needed if you look under 25. Check the specific show's rules before booking.
How do I get there?
It's in West Belfast on the Falls Road. The G1 Glider runs right along the Falls from the city centre, and Metro buses and black taxis serve the area too. Parking near Falls Park is heavily restricted on concert days, so come by public transport.
What does "Féile an Phobail" mean?
It's Irish for "Festival of the People" — a community arts festival run in and by the West Belfast community since 1988, now the biggest of its kind in Ireland.
Getting there
Féile runs across West Belfast along the Falls Road — Falls Park, Dunville Park and venues around the community. The G1 Glider runs along the Falls from the city centre, so come by public transport, especially on concert days.
Féile an Phobail — "the Festival of the People" — began in 1988, started by a group of friends and community organisations in West Belfast who wanted to bring affordable arts, culture and entertainment to their community and to celebrate its creativity. The first festival was a modest affair: a parade of floats, bands and clubs gathering at Dunville Park, alongside street parties and community outings.
From that start it grew into a year-round arts organisation and the biggest community arts festival in Ireland — now more than 700 events across two weeks each summer, drawing well over 100,000 people. Along the way it founded Draíocht, Northern Ireland's first children's arts festival, and its own community radio station. The colourful carnival up the Falls Road became its signature, a whole neighbourhood turning out to celebrate together. Come for the carnival and the family days, and you'll feel exactly what "festival of the people" means.